How to Create a Personalized Diet Plan 
        
        
         As  recommended by Susan Bowerman, M.S., RD, CSSD, CSOWM, FAND – 
       Senior Director, Worldwide Nutrition Education and Training  Herbalife Nutrition 
             
                 Combine the right foods in the right portions. 
        
       When you have a personalized diet plan laid out for you, it can help you learn proper 
       portion sizes and keep your calorie intake in check. 
       These sample can be especially useful if you‟re just starting out and don‟t really 
       know what you should be eating, or how much. So, this week I‟ve decided to share 
       my sample diet plans with you, too. 
       We‟re going to go through this process step-by-step, so today‟s post will give you an 
       overview of the steps you‟ll take in creating your own personalized diet plan. First, 
       you‟ll want to become familiar with portion sizes of the various foods within each food 
       group that will make up your personalized diet plan. That‟s today‟s lesson. Then, 
       over the next few days I will post sample 3-day diet plans containing 1200 calories, 
       1500 calories, 1800 calories or 2200 calories per day, so you can choose the plan 
       that best suits your needs. 
       Each plan consists of three meals and at least one snack. That‟s why I include one 
       mid-afternoon snack for everyone, with additional snacks at the higher calorie levels. 
                   Creating Your Diet Meal Plan 
        
       Step 1. Learn what foods to eat at each meal and snack 
       To keep things simple, I like to break down each meal or snack into simple units: 
       protein,  fruit,  vegetables,  leafy  greens,  starch/grain,  protein  snacks,  and  „taste 
       enhancers.‟ Each personalized diet plan has its own basic structure based on these 
       simple units. That way it‟s easy to remember what you should eat at each meal. 
       Here are the basic structures for the different calorie levels: 
        
                                                                                                                     Meal Plan 
                    
                   1200 Calorie Diet Plan 
                   Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ Vegetables if desired) 
                   Lunch: 1 Protein + 1 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste Enhancer 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable 
                   Dinner: 1 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste 
                   Enhancer 
                   Snack: 1 Fruit 
                   1500 Calorie Diet Plan 
                   Breakfast: 1 Protein + 1 Fruit (+ Vegetables if desired) 
                   Lunch: 1 Protein + 1 Vegetable + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch + 1 Taste Enhancer + 1 
                   Fruit 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Vegetable 
                   Dinner: 2 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste 
                   Enhancer 
                   Snack: 1 Fruit 
                   1800 Calorie Diet Plan 
                   Breakfast: 1 Protein +1 Fruit (+ Vegetables if desired) 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack 
                   Lunch: 2 Protein + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch/Grain + 1 Taste 
                   Enhancer + 1 Fruit 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable 
                   Dinner: 2 Protein + 1 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 1 Taste 
                   Enhancer 
                   Snack: 1 Fruit 
                   2200 Calorie Diet Plan 
                   Breakfast: 2 Protein +1 Fruit (+ Vegetables if desired) + 1 Starch/Grain 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack 
                   Lunch: 2 Protein + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 1 Starch/Grain + 1 Taste 
                   Enhancer + 1 Fruit 
                   Snack: 1 Protein Snack + 1 Fruit or Vegetable 
                   Dinner: 2 Protein + 2 Starch/Grain + 2 Vegetables + Leafy Greens + 2 Taste 
                   Enhancers 
                   Snack: 1 Fruit 
                   Step 2. Learn your portion sizes 
                   Once you know the basic breakdown of your meal plan, the next step is to get 
                   familiar with the portion sizes within each of the food groups. This is one of the most 
                   important factors in keeping your calories in check. Each of the following items in 
                   each group counts as one portion. 
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                                                                                                                                Meal Plan 
                     
                    PROTEIN – The proteins listed below are low in fat, and are the protein foods you 
                    should choose most often. Higher fat meats and dairy products, for instance, will 
                    have more calories. 
                    Protein units: 
                           1 cup (250g) plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt or nonfat cottage cheese 
                           3 ounces (85g) cooked poultry or lean meat 
                           4 ounces (100g) cooked fish or shellfish 
                           2 scoops Herbalife Formula 1 + 1 cup (250 ml) nonfat or low-fat milk* 
                           1 whole egg + 4 egg whites OR 7 egg whites 
                           5 ounces (125g) tofu 
                    FRUIT – Fresh or frozen fruits are generally better choices than dried fruits or fruit 
                    juices,  since  you  will  be  getting  the  largest  portion  size  for  the  calories  you  are 
                    eating. But I‟ve listed fruit portions in various forms, so you can choose for yourself. 
                    Fruit units: 
                           1 cup (80g) of cut fruit or berries 
                           1 average piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, etc.) 
                           1 small handful of dried fruit 
                           ½ cup (125 ml) 100% fruit juice 
                    VEGETABLE – With the exception of starchy vegetables (such as corn and peas, 
                    which are listed with the starches), vegetables have the fewest calories per bite of 
                    any foods. In fact, the calories in leafy greens such as lettuce are so low that they 
                    can be eaten in any amount. 
                    Vegetable units: 
                           1 cup (80g) any vegetable 
                           Leafy greens – any amount. 
                    STARCH/GRAIN – The foods listed in this group are whole grain. They provide 
                    more vitamins, minerals and fiber than refined “white” starches, like white rice or 
                    white bread. Try to choose whole grains whenever possible. 
                    Starch/Grain units: 
                           ½  cup  (150g)  cooked  grain  (rice,  pasta,  quinoa,  etc),  beans,  lentils,  corn 
                            kernels or peas 
                           1 slice whole grain bread 
                           ½ large potato, white or sweet 
                           1 cup (250g) cooked rolled oats 
                           2 corn tortillas 
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                                                                                                                                Meal Plan 
                     
                    PROTEIN SNACKS – Protein snacks contain fewer calories and less protein than a 
                    full portion of protein. These smaller protein provide “boosts” during the day help to 
                    keep hunger at bay. 
                    Protein snacks: 
                           1 Herbalife Protein Snack Bar Deluxe( not available in India Yet) 
                           1 ounce (30g) roasted soy nuts 
                           1 cup (250 ml) nonfat or low-fat milk 
                           4 TBSP (60g) hummus 
                           ½ cup (125g) nonfat cottage cheese or flavored yogurt 
                           1 ounce (30g) low-fat mozzarella cheese 
                           ½ cup (85 g) edamame soybeans 
                    TASTE ENHANCERS – Small amounts of fats or sweets can be used to add 
                    flavor to your foods. Each of the following items contains 60-75 calories, which is 
                    why I limit them in the diet plans. Although avocado is technically a fruit, most of its 
                    calories come from fat so it‟s counted as a taste enhancer. Similarly, while nuts do 
                    contain modest amounts of protein, most of the calories in nuts also come from fat 
                    so they are placed here. 
                    Taste enhancers: 
                           2 TSP (10 ml) olive, canola, sunflower or safflower oil 
                           2 TBSP (30g) reduced-calorie salad dressing 
                           ¼ medium avocado 
                           small handful of nuts 
                           ½ ounce (15g) grated Parmesan cheese 
                           1 TBSP (20g) jam, jelly, honey, syrup, sugar 
                           2 TBSP (30g) light cream for coffee 
                           2 TBSP (30g) ketchup 
                           2 TBSP (30g) low fat sour cream or low-fat mayonnaise 
                    FREE FOODS – Some food items have so few calories that they are considered 
                    free. Use the following as you wish: 
                           Mustard 
                           Vinegar 
                           Herbs and spices 
                           Garlic, onion 
                           Lemon, lime juices 
                           Salsa, hot pepper sauces, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce 
                           Extracts (vanilla, peppermint, etc.) 
                           Broth or bouillon 
                           Soy sauce 
                           Calorie-free beverages and sweeteners 
                           Pan sprays for cooking 
                     
                     
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